Heaven's Not Constant
by Alatar Maia
Summary: There are some things that remain constant between all universes. Most often, it's afterlives. Heaven is one of them - but that doesn't mean that they're identical, as Gabriel quickly learns. And not all angels remain the same between them.
1. Chapter 1

**Admittedly I can't really take credit for this idea, since it's from a PM that authorwannabe101 sent me asking if I'd write something like this. I don't formally take requests but it was a _really_ good idea.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

* * *

You'd think that normally crossing universes was something that one did on purpose.

Normally, it was, but these were hardly normal circumstances.

Gabriel groaned as he sat up. Why was it always _him?_ This was some sort of universal sentence that crazy shit had to happen to him.

It was probably because he'd ended up, however unofficially, on the Winchester's side.

Fucking Winchesters.

At least he hadn't ended up anywhere too crazy.

* * *

He'd spent only a week in this universe, and still Gabriel couldn't tell the difference between it and his home universe. Sure there were _some_ differences - no one seemed to know who Leonardo DiCaprio was, for starters - but nothing big enough to have made a substantial difference.

Gabriel, in any case, wasn't interested in getting down into the dirty details of it. He _was_ interested in only hanging around however long it took for him to get enough power back to go home.

And, well, a trickster was a trickster, right? So maybe he'd just find a way to keep himself from dying of boredom-

Except someone was surprisingly invested in stopping him.

"It would be wiser if you didn't do that."

Gabriel paused at the unfamiliar voice, frowning and turning around to face whoever it was. His breath left him in a gust.

"I don't know who you are," The angel said - what else could they have possibly been? - "But you're not from this Earth, so I would appreciate your not doing anything to it or the people on it."

Gabriel stared. "Who are you?" He'd never considered the idea that there could be alternate versions of angels. It made sense when he thought about it - more than one universe would have a Heaven - but the evidence in front of him still startled him.

"I think you owe me that answer first," The angel said steadily.

Gabriel, for a moment, considered giving one of the other many names he'd held. "Gabriel."

The angel's eyebrows - or at least their vessel's eyebrows - shot up.

It wasn't a surprise, at least not if archangel's names carried the same weight here.

" _Gabriel?"_ They looked shocked. "How?"

"Not _your_ universe's Gabriel," Gabriel said, already anticipating the storm that would come down on him. "I just-"

"Came across universes?" The angel was frowning, now. "That would explain the energy we felt..." Their eyes, thoughtfully, moved to Gabriel.

Then they vanished.

Gabriel could sense the power, he could tell that they'd flown, but it was somehow utterly different from how he was used to it working. He stood there, bewildered, for a few seconds before deciding to move on in case they sent another angel after him.

* * *

The second time someone found him was a little weirder.

"Naomi says you're me."

Gabriel spun around.

The being leaning casually against the bar next to him didn't look remotely like Gabriel, from a human perspective. From an angel perspective they were remarkably similar.

"A bar, really?" They asked before Gabriel could reply.

"What's so bad about a bar?" Gabriel shot back. The angel shrugged.

"It might be nicer to have this conversation somewhere else."

Gabriel eyed them for a moment before pushing his chair back, standing up. "Lead the way, then."

The angel reached out and pulled Gabriel with him. They landed on some coastline [Gabriel automatically reached out, looking for a location, sensing the ocean and the land and the clutter and noise of human life only miles away].

"What are you doing here?" The other Gabriel asked.

"I came here on accident." Gabriel spread his hands. "I didn't mean to infringe on your territory or whatever."

"I was just curious."

The word, falling so casually from an _angel's_ mouth, makes Gabriel freeze for a second. "Look..." he paused. "You know, it's really awkward calling you Gabriel."

The other angel smiled. "Gavri'el," they suggested. "It is the original pronunciation."

The humans had called Gabriel that, too, but not for a long time. "Gavri'el, then. I'm only still here because I don't have enough energy yet to cross universes."

"To try to get back to yours?" Gavri'el asked.

"Hopefully."

"But I'm curious, now. What might be different between our Heavens?" Gavri'el was still smiling. "There's no saying what might be different for you and I."

Gabriel made a face, shrugging. "Ever talk to Mary?"

"You mean Joseph's wife? Yes." Gavri'el raised their eyebrows. "Did she give you trouble as well?"

Gabriel snorted. "Some. You'd think someone who believed in God and angels would be more willing to believe that one was visiting her."

"What about Muhammad?"

"Same. You had to deal with that 'last prophet' stuff, too?"

Gavri'el paused, forehead wrinkling in confusion. " _Last_ prophet? What do you mean?"

Their honest confusion threw Gabriel off. He forced himself to laugh. "I guess that's one difference."

The easy mood had evaporated, and Gavri'el was eyeing him more carefully than they had been earlier. "You seem different," they said eventually. "How long have you had that body?"

Gabriel looked down at himself, wondering if vessels existed here. The wording made him think so. "You mean the vessel?"

"Vessel? Don't you just make bodies for yourself?"

Gabriel whistled. Alright, then. "No way. Not how it works."

"That's how it works here." Gavri'el's head tilted. "Whose body do you have, then?"

"Someone who gave permission. About ten centuries ago." Gabriel grinned. "I was surprised this vessel lasted so long, really."

"Do they, normally?"

"For archangels, it's a bit trickier."

"Then we are archangels in two universes."

Gabriel grinned. "Lucky us."

"Well, archangel to archangel-" Gavri'el leaned forward. "Is Uriel still as annoying in your universe?"

"Uriel?" Gabriel asked doubtfully. "I hardly _know_ him well enough to call him annoying."

Surprise flashed across Gavri'el's face. "How many archangels are there?" They questioned.

"Four." Obviously.

Surprise again, and then Gavri'el shook their head. "Seven, here."

"Who are the other three?" Gabriel asked, once he fully processed the idea of _seven_ archangels.

"I don't even know who the four are in your universe."

That was true enough. "Michael," Gabriel volunteered. "Me, obviously, Raphael, and-"

The truth was that Lucifer had been the fourth, but Gabriel was reluctant to say it, even hundreds of years after the Fallen had first been stripped [unofficially] of the title. Gavri'el, while their confusion was evident, didn't press further.

"I see," was all Gabriel's doppelganger said. "I assume there _is_ a Uriel in your universe?"

"He's only a seraph." Gabriel didn't actually know what rank Uriel had - he'd never met that angel in particular, only heard of him.

Gavri'el looked thoughtful for a moment. "What about Raguel? Remiel?"

"Remiel sounds familiar." Gabriel shrugged. "I never interacted much with the lower angels." Michael hadn't approved, and while Gabriel hadn't liked it while he was in Heaven he wasn't stupid enough to go directly against Michael.

"And Saraquel?" Gavri'el pressed.

"Never heard of them." It sounded uncomfortably like Samael, for Gabriel's tastes. "Guess things are more different between us than they are similar."

"I wouldn't say that." Gavri'el protested good-naturedly. "There doesn't seem to be much different between us as angels, if we don't count our experiences."

"You mean we look similar?" Gabriel said dryly.

Gavri'el shrugged. "It's one thing we share."

"It's kind of an obvious one."

Gavri'el only smiled. "This is the first time you've ran into another version of yourself?"

"Yeah. I didn't mean to be traveling universes, period. It just sort of happened." Gabriel stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Then will you go?"

"I probably should." Gabriel raised his eyebrows at Gavri'el. "Were you expecting me to say?"

"You're the most interesting being that's shown up in the last few thousand years," Gavri'el offered by way of explanation. "Can you blame me?"

"Not really." Gabriel probably would have done the same. "Still...I have to try."

"I don't blame you." Gavri'el stepped back, smiling at Gabriel. "I hope you make it home safely."

"Thanks." Gabriel would probably need all the good wishes he could get.

* * *

 **So...not really sure where to take this next. Might cross over with a couple other universes that I know have angels [Good Omens, Dominion, etc] but for now please leave a review and let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Glad people seemed to like this idea! I wasn't really sure where to go with it, but there'll be a point to this...eventually. I'll figure one out at some point or another.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

* * *

The next time Gabriel ended up in a universe with a Heaven, it wasn't nearly as friendly an encounter.

From his end, at least, but could you blame him?

He'd barely touched down for a moment when two presences slammed into him, nearly knocking him off his feet. Gabriel spun around, wings trying to compensate for the lack of balance his legs could find and _holy shit._

 _Michael_ would be one thing, but _Lucifer? With him? _And them looking _perfectly_ _fine_ with being right next to each other and not attempting to tear out the other's throat?

What kind of universe had he landed in?

Michael looked puzzled when Gabriel backed up, mentally cursing a blue streak when he realized there were no obvious exits. Flying wasn't an option unless he could distract them so that the takeoff was a surprise, but they'd catch up eventually. He might have been faster than his universe's Michael and Lucifer, but he didn't know anything about this one and he was still exhausted from the flight over here.

"I'm pretty sure this universe only has one Gabriel," Lucifer said eventually. "Care to explain what you're doing here?"

Gabriel eyed him warily, knowing that bringing out his sword would be practically suicide [with his universe's Lucifer, at least] but still tempted to. There was an ache in his chest that reminded him that he had a reason to be nervous. "Passing through," he replied after a moment, keeping his voice determinedly neutral. "No biggie."

Michael and Lucifer glanced at each other meaningfully and _yeah,_ this universe was weird as _fuck._

"What are you traveling universes for?" Michael questioned. "Unless you were looking for alternate versions of us on purpose."

Gabriel snorted before he could help himself, and then froze when both of them looked directly at him. It was like being under a damn searchlight.

"Oh, boy." That was Gabriel's voice, but it hadn't been Gabriel who spoke. It was, however, someone who looked disturbingly like him when he turned around to see. "What kind of mess got you over here?"

"I didn't come here on purpose," Gabriel retorted, bewildered and snapping back out of instinct even though it was exactly the lighthearted, joking kind of comment he would have made.

"Whoa, okay." Other-Gabriel held up his hands. "No need to get defensive."

"Just because we'd like to know where _another_ Gabriel came from-" Michael began, then broke off when Lucifer gave him a look, and didn't that make Gabriel stare even more.

"We're just curious," Lucifer said. "It would be nice if you were a friendly alternate-Gabriel, and not one who's here to cause chaos and whatnot."

Lucifer? _Curious_?

Other-Gabriel must have sensed his confusion, because he threw an arm over Gabriel's shoulders. "What do you say we go somewhere more private and talk?" He said cheerfully, wings brushing up against Gabriel's. "I know a great little place that no one'll think to interrupt us at."

Gabriel let himself be pulled away, confusion making him slow to respond. The 'little place' was, of course, a bar; other-Gabriel settled in a private room disconnected from the noise and chatter of the place.

"Alright, spill," he said businesslike, putting his feet on the table. "You were staring at Mike and Lucy like one of 'em had grown more heads than usual. What's up?"

"I - is this _normal_ for you?" Gabriel demanded. "Since when are _those_ two even on speaking terms?"

"Oh." Other-Gabriel looked suddenly serious, realization dawning and making him lower his feet to lean forward. "What happened with them in your universe?"

"Besides the Apocalypse?" Gabriel tried to joke, but it fell mostly flat.

"How'd that go?"

"I don't know." Gabriel stopped himself in time from reaching towards his vessel's midsection, but other-Gabriel's eyes flickered and he had a feeling the other had caught the movement.

"That's a nasty wound," Other-Gabriel said slowly. "You _probably_ shouldn't be jumping around universes like that, yanno."

"I know," Gabriel bit out. "Staying where I was wasn't an option."

Other-Gabriel didn't look satisfied. "What, you want to stay hurt? Give whoever did that the satisfaction of keeping you like this?"

"I'm not giving Lucifer _anything._ " Gabriel knew he'd messed up when his counterpart stilled, eyes dropping to the injury again.

"Lucifer?" He practically whispered it, incredulity in every breath that left his vessel's lips. It was a vessel; Gabriel could tell that much. Certain things here were much more similar than in his old universe. "He wouldn't-" he cut himself off.

Gabriel hadn't thought his brother would do it, either. "Well, he did," he said tersely, and left it at that because he didn't really want to continue down that line of conversation.

Other-Gabriel shook his head, and with a visible effort forced a grin. "No wonder you looked so freaked to see him," he said. "'Course, things are different here. Didn't you notice their vessels?"

To be honest, Gabriel had barely noticed they were in vessels at all. "What about them?"

"The Winchesters."

Gabriel, if he had been drinking anything, probably would have done a spit take. "They said yes?"

For some reason, that made other-Gabriel look honestly amused, the grin pulling into something less false. "Nope," he said. "Turns out it was just Lucifer's _Grace_ in the Cage, instead of all of him. Then Michael took a dive a while back, and..." he shrugged, smirking at the realization that he could probably see washing over Gabriel.

"You're telling me they _are_ Michael and Lucifer?" He asked disbelievingly.

"Right on the nail!" Other-Gabriel cheered. "Honestly, it was pure chance that both of them decided they'd rather work things out peacefully. I blame Sam."

"But that's just one human life-"

"One _human_ life," Other-Gabriel pointed out. "And they're pretty close, as humans. Guess that stuck around even when they angeled up again."

Closing his mouth, Gabriel looked away. It seemed like such an easy answer, for a conflict that had been going on for centuries.

Other-Gabriel seemed to guess what he was the thinking. "Look," he said. "I'm not saying it was _easy,_ but it sure as hell was a lot calmer than them having their bitch fight."

It did. If only Gabriel's universe had gotten so lucky.

"What'd you do over there?" Other-Gabriel asked, calmness feigned to mask the curiosity and almost-worry threading through his Grace.

"Whatever I could before Lucifer shanked me," Gabriel replied, noting other-Gabriel's slight flinch at the overly casual reminder of what had happened. "I kinda got the hell out of Dodge before anyone realized I wasn't dead."

"So what'cha gonna do now?"

That was a good question. "I don't know," Gabriel said. "I only stopped here because I needed to. I guess I'll keep going once I can."

Other-Gabriel looked at him with eyes that managed to be dark, even with the vessel's light color and the brightness of his true form. "Well," he began, "I'll tell you something I figured out a while back, when those two had managed to get their shit together and started fussing about me. Running's fine, but you can only go for so long before you end up going in a circle. And then you're right back where you started and you've got to deal with all the crap you ran away from in the first place. And chances are it's just gotten worse 'cause you left it."

"I'm not running away from anything."

"I can _tell_ that you've got pagan magic in that vessel, like me." Other-Gabriel quirked an eyebrow. "Loki, right? I ended up in the same place. But it doesn't last forever."

 _Damn right it didn't_ , Gabriel thought, Kali and her revelation flickering through his mind without him consciously trying to remember it.

"I should go," is what he said out loud.

"Already?" Other-Gabriel raised his eyebrows. "And here we were bonding."

Gabriel shrugged, and made an effort to smile. "Gotta leave some time." His Grace had returned surprisingly quickly, but maybe it was the presence of the other that was encouraging it.

"Safe travels, then, and whatnot." Other-Gabriel leaned back again, the picture of relaxation. "And if you run into any more of me - or you - send 'em my regards."

* * *

 **Kinda wanted to write a Lucifer!Sam and Michael!Dean story, didn't feel like starting a new one. So here you go.**

 **Read and review, please!**


End file.
